Thermostatically controlled valve for a steam trap

Claim 1

IN A THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE FOR A STEAM TRAP HAVING A VALVE SEAT AND A VALVE BODY TO BE MOVED AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID FLOWING TO THE VALVE SEAT IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LATTER, IN COMBINATION, A STATIONARY ABUTMENT MEMBER UPSTREAM OF SAID VALVE SEAT; A MOVABLE ABUTMENT MEMBER UPSTREAM OF SAID VALVE SEAT, SPACED FROM SAID STATIONARY ABUTMENT MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE BODY; AND A COLUMN OF SUPERPOSED ELEMENTS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT MEMBERS IN THE PATH OF FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT AND ENGAGING WITH OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF SAID ABUTMENT MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID SUPERPOSED ELEMENTS OF SAID COLUMN INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF BIMETAL MEMBERS CURVING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS DURING INCREASE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT, AND AT LEAST ONE SPRING MEMBER CONSTRUCTED TO ENGAGE ONE OF THE OTHER MEMBERS AT LEAST AT TWO SPACED CONTACT POINTS, SAID COLUMN EXPANDING DURING RISE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT TO MOVE AT A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE SAID VALVE BODY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT AND TO FLEX DURING FURTHER RISE OF THE TEMPERATURE SAID SPRING MEMBER TO AN INCREASING EXTEND SO AS TO CHANGE THE SPACING OF SAID CONTACT POINTS IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID, WHEREBY THE STIFFNESS OF SAID SPRING MEMBER AND THE PRESSURE AT WHICH SAID VALVE BODY IS PRESSED AGAINST SAID VALVE SEAT IS CHANGED IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES OF THE FLUID.